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Governor on Trial

Jury: McDonnell guilty of public corruption charges

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, center, is mobbed by media as he
gets into a car with his son, Bobby, right, after he and his wife,
former first lady Maureen McDonnell, were convicted on multiple counts
of corruption at Federal Court in Richmond, Va., Thursday. (AP
Photo/Steve Helber)

WASHINGTON - Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has been found guilty of 11 public corruption charges and his wife Maureen has been found guilty of nine charges.

The guilty counts include fraud and bribery in addition to public corruption after the couple accepted more than $177,000 of
gifts and loans from a businessman.

The McDonnells now face decades in prison as each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 or 30 years.

They were found not guilty on charges of making false statements.

Both Bob and Maureen McDonnell bowed their heads and wept as a chorus of ``guiltys''
kept coming from court clerk.

The McDonnells endured weeks of testimony that included sordid details about their personal lives and their rocky marriage. But the verdict is a shocking result for a governor with a squeaky clean image and who was once considered as a vice-presidential candidate. He now becomes the first Virginia governor convicted of a crime.

The couple left the courtroom separately and remained apart. Bob McDonnell left
first and walked into a witness waiting room; Maureen McDonnell came out later,
hugging one of her daughters while weeping loudly. She went into a separate
waiting room.

``This is a difficult and disappointing day for
the commonwealth and its citizens. Public service frequently requires sacrifice
and almost always requires financial sacrifice,'' said Dana Boente, the U.S.
attorney for the eastern district of Virginia.

The
jurors all declined to speak to reporters as they left the courthouse through a
back door.

``I just want to go home,'' said one
unidentified juror.

The defense team said that the fight was far from over and that they would appeal.

The McDonnells were accused in a 14-count indictment of accepting gifts, trips and loans from former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams

in exchange for promoting the company's products.

The McDonnells' marriage and Maureen McDonnell's mental state and behavior became

the focus as the trial progressed. The couple tried to argue that their marriage

was falling apart and they could not have conspired to cover up the gifts they

accepted from Williams.

Taking the stand in his own defense, McDonnell testified that he should have

reported the gifts and cash but that he wasn't intentionally hiding them from the

public. He also testified that he considered Williams a personal friend but that

Tuesday, a federal judge denied a request that former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell remain free while his two-year sentence on corruption charges is appealed saying that the there is no substantial question of law that could result in a retrial.

“McDonnell assuredly did more than provide meer access to Williams – he performed ‘official acts’ as that term is defined under federal bribery laws."

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, once on the short list to be Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for taking bribes to promote a dietary supplement.

The punishment was far below the 10 years prosecutors initially wanted, but still more than the community service the former governor, his defense team and hundreds of supporters argued for.

In a strong but somber voice, McDonnell told the judge before sentencing that he was “a heartbroken and humbled man” and that he holds himself accountable.

After McDonnell trial, voters should ask more about candidates' spouses

The conviction and trial of a former first lady has shed light on a quasi-governmental post that got little attention until now. Here's a look at what's shaped the first lady's role in the past and how that could change going forward.

One juror in the corruption trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Mauren McDonnell, his wife, talks about the pressure of the trial and seeing the McDonnells react after the verdict was read.

In a statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said that the McDonnells turned "public service into a money-making enterprise, abusing the commonwealth's highest office."

"In pursuit of a lifestyle that they could ill afford, McDonnell and his wife eagerly accepted luxury items, designer clothes, free vacations and the businessman’s offer to pay the costs of their daughter’s wedding. In return, McDonnell put the weight of the governor’s mansion behind the businessman’s corporate interests. "

by WTOP News9/4/2014 9:52:24 PM

One juror tells @rachelweinerwp: "It was extremely emotional...It was a hard decision, but it was not a tough decision."

Former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell leaves he U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after being found guilty of 11 corruption-related counts. His wife Maureen McDonnell was found guilty of eight counts. (WTOP/Max Smith)

by WTOP9/4/2014 8:35:08 PM

4:10 p.m.: Randall Eliason, a former chief of the public corruption section, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia

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by WTOP News9/4/2014 8:26:08 PM

Statement from House Speaker Bill Howell:

“This is a sad day forVirginia. I have known Bob McDonnell for a long time and consider him a verygood friend of mine. He spent 38 years in public service and his record asGovernor speaks for itself. I believe in the justice system and I am not goingsecond guess the jury. The jury rendered its verdict and the McDonnells have anopportunity to appeal. That’s the way the system works. I am proud to call BobMcDonnell my friend and I pray for him and his family during this difficulttime.”